PEARL Bloodstock’s Karpino (Andreas Wöhler/Oisin Murphy) ran out a most convincing winner of the Group 2 Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) at Cologne on Monday. It was a first classic winner for the talented young jockey, now under contract to Pearl Bloodstock, and the associated Qatar Racing but the trainer is an old hand and this was his umpteenth German classic winner.

Wöhler knows a good horse when he sees one, and he has made no secret of his high opinion of this Cape Cross colt, who was bred by Gestüt Fährhof and sold to Sheikh Fahad after winning his maiden at Hoppegarten on his only start last year.

Karpino started this season with an easy win in the Dr Busch-Memorial, usually the best trial for the German 2000 Guineas. Lucky Lion won them both last year and went on to finish runner-up in the German Derby and then win the Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, Germany´s top 10-furlong race. That was his best distance but Karpino is made of sterner stuff and on breeding looks certain to stay 12 furlongs.

EXCITING

“That is the exciting thing about him,” says Wöhler; “he has the class and speed to win good races over a mile, but we will be even better when we run him over his proper trip of 12 furlongs.” He is entered in all the top races at that distance, including the King George, which Wöhler won with Novellist in 2013, and the Arc, which is currently his long-term target.

Karpino is by Cape Cross, who although best at a mile himself, has sired plenty of good horses over the classic distance, including superstars Sea The Stars and Ouija Board as well as next week´s Epsom favourite Golden Horn.

Karpino’s dam Kahara is a daughter of Sadler’s Wells and an own-sister to St Leger winner Milan, while the second dam Kithanga (by Darshaan) was placed in the Irish St Leger and won the St Simon Stakes. This family has done well for the Cumanis’ Fittocks Stud but is an old Aga Khan line and includes Derby winner Kahyasi. Clearly stamina should be no problem here.

The story of the race itself is quickly told. Outsider Rock Academy broke well and soon had the lead, while Oisin Murphy had Karpino in a prominent position and went second after a couple of furlongs. Rock Academy led Karpino into the straight, with the rest of the field bunched up and Karpino went by the front-runner fully two furlongs from home and quickly went clear.

He was never in any danger and the only excitement was the fight for second place between Frankie Dettori on Marco Botti’s Fanciful Angel and Jens Hirschberger’s Molly Le Clou, who ran on very well from the rear but was still a head behind Fanciful Angel at the line.

Agent Provocateur, who had been supplemented, looked briefly threatening at the distance, but weakened again to finish fourth, with Wöhler´s second runner Making Trouble running on for fifth but was never nearer after a slow start.

The disappointment of the race was Irish challenger Cappella Sansevero, who started second favourite at 5/2. Colin Keane had him placed on the inside just behind Fantasy Angel, but he was hopelessly trapped when the field swung into the straight and never got into contention, finally finishing eighth, more than 11 lengths behind the winner.

“Grrr!” Lyons said afterwards, “you can certainly strike a line through that, he never had a race.” However, there were no obvious excuses for any of the beaten horses as the winner was in a league of his own. His winning margin of four and a half lengths if anything underestimates his superiority.

The German handicapper has put him on 117, a very high rating for a German three-year-old in May, but fully justified, especially as the winning time of 1min 34.01secs was the fastest this century, despite the fact that the pace did not look especially strong. This was only Karpino’s third start and he is entitled to make further improvement as the season goes on, particularly when he runs over a longer distance. He is a most exciting prospect and can be expected to be a major player in the top international races over a mile and a half in the second half of the season.

On Wednesday the trainer confirmed that Karpino would have his next run in the German Derby.